


and down we go

by Akane21



Series: sol de ayer [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Gen, Memory Loss, Pre-Slash, Reincarnation, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23162509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akane21/pseuds/Akane21
Summary: “I’ll remember what your name was,” Hidan says, unusually serious. “That’s a promise.”
Relationships: Hidan & Kakuzu (Naruto)
Series: sol de ayer [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998046
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	and down we go

**Author's Note:**

> just so you don’t get confused while reading: since this is a reincarnation!AU, the characters have different names. except for Hidan, who has lived for, like, thousands of years since he’s immortal and all. it’s very easy to guess who’s who, I think.

Hidan is still asleep.

He doesn’t wake up even when deafening explosions shake the bunker. Doesn’t wake up when an armed group kicks down the door to his room. Doesn’t wake up when their blood stains his body. He doesn’t wake up when North picks him up and rushes through the maze of corridors—so fast as though his life depends on it.

_Perhaps it does._

He wonders what does Hidan see in this dream he doesn’t want to wake up from.

North runs, his body moving automatically—which is somewhat true, since he’s half machine—and his head is full of chaotic thoughts that have no end, no beginning, no meaning.

Flai was shot two days ago, and Hidan hasn’t woken up since.

Flai dreamed of darkness and water, bitterness and rage—and acceptance, because at least one of her dreams had come true.

She met him.

She said this, choking back tears but smiling—as far the screen allowed to see—and North repeated quietly, not even knowing if she could hear, the words of the song he’d sung to her on the day they first met—and then that soldier pulled the trigger.

And Flai was no more.

Payne’s voice, hoarse and almost hysterical, pierces into his brain, repeating what North already knows.

“You must survive! Or else it’s all in vain, all these deaths, everything!”

Actually, North thinks while his arms tighten around Hidan’s limp body, it _is_ in vain—they haven’t found answers, the world won’t be saved—there will be no happy ending.

_North hardly sleeps, but sometimes he dreams of a red lake—as if filled with blood, thick and dimly glistening, seeming hot and sticky to the touch._

_And he dreams of voices, hundreds and thousands, some he recognizes and some not._

_And among these voices, his own is the loudest._

_God will come for you._

The navigator isn’t working, but North knows the path to that place by heart; he slams on the gas, glancing in the side mirror—behind them is chaos, explosions and gunshots, because damned Federation has found the Dawn’s hideout and will not calm down until each and every one of them becomes food for the sombras already gathering around.

But nobody knows all the exits from the bunker except the three—two of them, North corrects himself; Flai is dead, and Payne will soon follow her if he stayed behind to fight. At least it gave them a much needed headstart.

He throws a quick glance at Hidan sprawled in the back seat, and again thinks that it’s more like a coma than a dream.

But if it’s true, it’s better for him if he doesn’t wake up.

***

Hidan slowly runs his fingers over the holographic mark on his inner wrist—a scowling beast somewhat resembling a cat, only with much larger fangs, and a flickering number _two_ under it. Flai has a similar mark, but with something incomprehensible instead of a cat—and a _seven_.

“What the hell doesn this mean?” Hidan asks the expected and logical question.

North shrugs. His experience with mutants is relatively small, and all that makes Flai different from others are the wings and ultra-fast reaction. Hidan will be lucky if the changes in him are limited to this.

And that weird mutant chose to burn under the deadly rays of sunlight instead of saying what she had done to Hidan.

Is it possible to give away your agility, strength, the ability to change your body—what’s inside of you—to someone else? Nonsense. The mark must mean something else.

But North doesn’t know what, and no one does, not even Payne who has spent half his life trying to figure out what caused the world to change.

“It looks familiar,” Hidan goes on. “I’ve definitely seen it somewhere before.”

“Of course,” North says dryly. “You’ve seen it on that woman’s hand.”

“Hey, I’m not that dumb. No. I’ve seen it before that,” Hidan frowns, as if trying to remember—but failing.

Hidan doesn’t remember much and occasionally forgets what happened yesterday, a week or a month ago. He does remember those things later, though; but where he’s from, why the radiation and the sunlight don’t kill him, why nothing kills him—this remains a mystery.

It’d be easy to think he was faking it, but he really is so confused when asked about the past.

Even so, he’s useful to them, and so he stays with them after North rescues him from the research lab.

And this mark doesn’t change anything about him beyond what’s already too strange.

***

Even with his armor and helmet on, North can literally feel his body melting and his breathing getting heavier as he gets out of the car and steps onto the sand. The sombras scurry behind the rocks, peek out cautiously and hide again—and North is sure that it’s not because of him.

They are afraid of this place.

Hidan is still limp in his arms, and even the burns on his naked body—there was no time to look for something to cover him—don’t make him wake up.

In any case, all his injuries are immediately healed once they’re inside the cave and steel doors close behind them.

They won’t open again.

Either it all works out—or they’ll die here from dehydration... though perhaps, even that won’t be enough to kill Hidan.

For a split second, North desperately wants the plan to fail, Payne’s crazy assumptions to be a mistake—and to hell with the world, let it burn—it won’t change for the better anyway.

But this momentary weakness passes quickly.

It’s not for him to decide.

“Good, I can see you,” Payne’s voice says in the comm after a few seconds of crackling.

North exhales, feeling strangely relieved—he’s still alive. Even found a way to get in contact with him—it would’ve been hard on his own.

“Glad you’re alright.”

“Not for long,” Payne trails off, and North hears several shots. “But it doesn’t matter. Focus on what you have to do.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice and follows deeper into the cave. It’s the same as in his dreams—only the feeling of anxiety is stronger here.

And for some reason—guilt.

North looks down at Hidan.

He still hasn’t woken up, but in this lethargic dream, he’s smiling.

North sees understanding and _forgiveness_ in his smile.

And he feels completely sick with himself.

***

They don’t have much entertainment on the base, except for shooting the sombras wandering around the perimeter—though some are happy with that.

Flai gets enough of that on their raids, so when they return, she prefers to annoy everyone around her with meaningless conversations. Even North sometimes grows tired of her cheerful chatter, not to mention Hidan.

North doesn’t hold back a grin when he hears an annoyed, “Look, kid, I said I don’t remember anything! What the hell d’you want?”

“You have to remember something,” Flai objects reasonably. “I’ve never met an immortal! Even where I was held... there were... mutants, well, like me—some had amazing regeneration, but immortality...”

Hidan tries to reply, but Flai notices North standing behind his back and waves her hand, smiling openly.

“Hey, North! Hidan doesn’t want to tell me anything, can you imagine that?”

“Cause there’s nothing to tell!” Hidan groans, dramatically putting a hand to his forehead. “You’re such a fucking pain!” He gives North a pleading look.

He grins again and shakes his head.

“Payne was looking for you, Flai. He needs help with another... research.” And he’s not even lying—but the only help Payne needs is for someone to listen to him, nodding in the right places. No one understands half of what he says anyway.

“Oh, you want the pretty boy all to yourself?” Flai winks at him, obviously aware that he’s sending her away and not missing the chance to retaliate. “Of course, I won’t bother you.”

She quickly hugs Hidan, too startled to jerk away in time; tries to hug North as well, but he holds both hands up, not letting her.

Flai sticks out her tongue at him and flies—literally, spreading her transparent wings—out of the room. North shakes his head—such a child; though what else can you expect from fifteen-year-old girl.

A strange, bitterness-like feeling makes his heart shrink uncomfortably—Flai shouldn’t be getting into all this, she deserves a normal life. But in their world, nobody can hope for this kind of life—definitely not mutants like Flai.

“Thanks,” Hidan exhales, obviously relieved. “She nearly ate my brain out.”

“As if there was anything to eat,” North chuckles, leaning against the wall.

“Asshole,” Hidan says, smiling. “Though... You’ve always been like that. Haven’t changed a bit.”

North suppresses a sigh. “Again?”

“What is your name?” Hidan asks, as if he didn’t hear him.

“Are you kidding me?”

“No, I mean, your real name,” Hidan explains. “North is a nickname, isn’t it?”

“What makes you think that?” North rolls his eyes. “It’s my name. One I was given at birth.”

Hidan frowns, his lips moving silently; he seems to be thinking about something.

“I think you had a different name before,” he says, somewhat uncertainly. “A weird name, too. Something like... I don’t fucking remember!” He slams his fist on the table in a short fit of rage which fades almost immediately. “I must be crazy, eh?” He looks helplessly at North, who only shrugs.

“You have memory issues. That doesn’t mean you’re crazy. It might have something to do with your immortality... or something else. I have no idea.”

“But you say that the first time you saw me was a month ago! Why the hell do I remember you?” Hidan presses his hands to his temples. “I remember you as if we were friends or something... as if you were important to me.”

“Perhaps I just remind you of someone.”

Hidan shakes his head.

“No. I can’t be wrong.”

North can only shrug again—he is certain that he didn’t know Hidan before. The human mind remains a mystery to him—who knows, the slightest resemblance to someone from Hidan’s past could have created something like false memories. Or perhaps Hidan really is just crazy. Who knows.

“I’ll remember what your name was,” Hidan says, unusually serious. “That’s a promise.”

***

Payne continues to throw obscure terms at him, trying to explain what is happening, but North doesn’t even listen.

The lake in front of him is red, as he remembers; but this time it doesn’t swirl, threatening to brim over, flooding everything around—the water is still, motionless.

As if expecting a long-awaited sacrifice.

“Are you listening?”

North shakes his head. There’s no point in getting distracted right now.

“Yes. I should just throw him into the water?”

“Technically speaking, it’s not water, the chemical structure is radically...” Payne trails off, as if remembering that they don’t have much time. “Yes. Then... just wait. I hope I am right—and it works.”

“How is it _supposed_ to work?” North carefully lays Hidan on the ground and sits down next to him. “You haven’t really explained it to any of us.”

“North, I’m not really in a position to give you a lecture now,” Payne’s voice sounds strained. “If we survive, I’ll tell you everything and even show you my research. You should have shown more interest before. In short, it’s a sacrifice.”

At any other time, North would laugh.

But it was something he expected.

“Well,” he looks at the lake again. “Do you think that this whole fucking thing happened not because some very smart scientist experimented with chemical weapons, but because some gods were angry with the human race?” He doesn’t manage to hold back a chuckle, almost imagines Payne shaking his head in reproach.

“Everything is connected. The fact that our planet become almost impossible to live on is our fault... but have you ever wondered where the sombras came from? The mutants?”

“Radiation. It’s all fucking radiation.” And damn Hidan still can’t wake up, as if _nothing_ is going on.

“And you’re wrong.”

“You owe me a _damn good_ explanation when it’s over,” North shakes his head.

_If it’s over._

_If he’s not making the biggest mistake in his life right now._

Payne doesn’t answer—a loud explosion almost deafens North, and then the communication is cut off.

There’s a slight hope that Payne will survive, but it’s unlikely. And, to be honest, he doesn’t care that much about it. It won’t change anything.

North thinks that the thermoregulation in his armor has finally given in—he suddenly feels cold for no apparent reason. Though what else did he expect after a run in the sun without shields—it’s good that at least his prosthetics are still working as they should.

How did he even manage to get dragged into this. He wishes he continued to serve in the Oasis security; and let Payne unravel the mysteries of the universe on his own.

But in that case, he wouldn’t have met Flai.

_And Hidan._

North grimaces—what is he thinking.

“Well,” he says aloud for some reason, getting up. “Let’s see if you can save the world.”

He bends down to pick Hidan up in his arms again—and freezes, met with an intent look of magenta eyes.

***

“No, seriously, I’m sure we’ve met before. Only then you were... different.”

“Then it wasn’t me you saw.”

Hidan flails his arm, irritated, almost knocking down the transmitter, and North has to drag him away. Truly, Hidan is the most sloppy and heedless man... mutant... whoever he is.

“I’m sure.” Hidan is relentless. “You have the same eyes. And face. Well, what’s left of it.” He runs his fingers along the scarred skin where it meets the metal, and North shoves his hand away—it’s unpleasant.

“And I’m sure I have never seen you before.”

If North thinks about it, he has no idea how Hidan lost his memory and who he was before that. He doesn’t have a habit of remembering the appearance of all the people he encounters. Theoretically, they could have met each other once, exchanged a couple of words; but Hidan clearly implies that they knew each other for a long time.

So North decides that the idea that he simply reminds Hidan of someone is the most plausible one, even though Hidan doesn’t agree with that.

Hidan falls silent, either ashamed of his insolence or realizing that this conversation won’t go anywhere; and they spend a few more minutes in silence, waiting for the signal.

It doesn’t come.

Things are just never easy.

Hidan stretches on the sand, staring into the night sky and smiling at something. The blue mark on his wrist is glowing faintly—and for a moment it seems like the glow envelops his whole body. Not even glow—fire; and his eyes glow too, but a piercing yellow.

North blinks, and the illusion disappears. The mark is still glowing, but just like any other hologram; nothing like what he’s just witnessed.

He must be too tired, North thinks; or just going crazy.

“Have you always been immortal?” He asks, unexpected for himself.

Hidan turns his head to look at him.

“I don’t remember,” he drawls. “I don’t think so. But I have been for a long time. Very long time. When we met—the first time—I already was immortal.”

North doesn’t repeat that they hadn’t met for ‘the first time’; he doesn’t feel like starting another long and meaningless argument.

“It sucks, you know,” Hidan says suddenly. “I remember wanting to die many times but not being able to. People even tried to kill me. But as you can guess, they couldn’t.”

North watches him silently, not knowing what to say. He didn’t view immortality in such a way; in truth, he has no reason to desire death. Not that his life is perfect... but he has something—and someone—to live for.

So Hidan didn’t?

“But now I don’t want to die anymore,” Hidan reaches and grabs his wrist. Touching cold metal can hardly be pleasant—but Hidan still smiles for some reason. “Because I’m not alone anymore.”

North doesn’t answer—but doesn’t take his hand away.

He understands Hidan.

If there’s one thing worse than death, it’s loneliness.

***

Hidan, still not fully awake, slowly looks around the cave. Holding his gaze on the red lake, he grins, “Well, that’s messed up,” and looks at North again. “What the hell happened? What is this place and why are we here?”

“Why don’t you sleep some more,” North chuckles, reaching out to smooth Hidan’s disheveled hair. “And you’ll miss the end of the world.”

“I’ve already missed it,” Hidan laughs hoarsely. “Is there gonna be another one?”

“I don’t know,” North looks at the lake and repeats helplessly, “I don’t know.”

Hidan raises his hand and squints, examining the mark on his wrist. The color seems faded, but the light is just as bright, enveloping his entire arm up to the shoulder. While he was unconscious, the mark was just a picture on the skin—North wonders why the change now.

“Weird shit,” Hidan waves his hand lazily. “You know... I never thought I’d end up in their place.”

“Their?” North repeats.

He wastes time, deliberately delaying the inevitable.

“Well, the jinchūriki,” Hidan closes his eyes. “I’m so tired...”

“You’ve already slept so much,” North says, resisting the urge to shake him, instead continuing to run his fingers through his white hair. “And Payne has already given me a fair share of riddles, so explain. What the hell are the—” it takes him some effort to repeat the unfamiliar word, “— _jinchūriki_?”

“They have the bijū inside of them. Tailed demons. Cute little beasts... you know I was the one who killed the Two-Tails? Almost. You didn’t let me finish because we needed her alive...”

 _Two-Tails_ —seems somewhat familiar.

The _two_ in the mark, of course, he must mean this—though what do tails have to do with anything...

But North remembers clearly that the woman who wore this mark before Hidan stepped beyond the forcefield without any protection—and burned alive in front of them. Hidan didn’t kill her—neither did North, or anyone else for that matter. It was an interesting way of suicide.

“Nonsense,” he says. “You didn’t kill her. You two didn’t even fight.”

“Oh.” Hidan pauses for a moment, looking at him weirdly. “I thought... it’s so strange. But still... I’m a jinchūriki now too. And you’ll have to get this beast out of me, right?”

“Me?”

“Stop being so dumb... The Akatsuki.” Hidan closes his eyes again. “Just be quick, okay? I’m so tired... so fucking tired, you have no idea.”

North clenches his fists, exhaling slowly. Either Hidan has lost what was left of his mind, or he really knows more than any of them ever imagined.

Does it matter now?

North can’t save him anyway.

Or himself.

“Don’t go,” Hidan mutters quietly, and it seems like he’s falling asleep again—just what is happening to him. “I’ve been looking for you for so long...”

“I’ll be here,” North promises quietly, carefully lifting him up.

_‘Just throw him into the water’? North will much rather go down with him._

And even though this spontaneous thought is madness, utter nonsense and can destroy everything—right now more than ever North realizes that even if Hidan’s death will fix their broken world, he will shoot himself right here.

He was never an altruist, but he had to lose too often—in the name of some higher goal.

And now he’s not ready to sacrifice something else.

_“So you do like me after all, eh?”_

Hidan’s amused voice rings in his ears, and North looks at him—but, judging by his calm face, he didn’t say anything.

Well, hello, hallucinations, North thinks with grim amusement.

When he steps into the water, he is surprised to realize that the lake is quite shallow—the water barely reaches his knees.

Like Payne said, it’s not actually water—but not blood like he often thought in his dreams.

Dark red, completely opaque liquid under which he can’t see the bottom—but it doesn’t smell like blood at all. North has no idea _what_ it is—and he doesn’t care.

Hidan presses closer against him, holding his shoulders, and mutters something incomprehensible.

_God will come for you._

But these are not Hidan’s words.

_Like he came for all of us._

North grits his teeth and takes a few more steps, getting waist-deep in the liquid.

_We’ve been waiting for you._

Just like in his damn dreams—visions—they’re surrounded by quiet voices whispering strange and frightening words. Perhaps, North thinks, Payne wasn’t as wrong when he talked about sacrifice and all that mystical nonsense. Gods, spirits... demons—he holds back a nervous laughter.

“Hey,” Hidan says weakly, and though North isn’t sure if he really heard it, he still looks at him.

They’re almost in the center of the lake—the liquid already reaches up to North’s neck, and he has to make an effort to keep Hidan’s head at the same level as his.

“What is it?”

Hidan smiles—takes a while to reply.

“I remembered,” he says finally.

Closing his eyes, he presses his lips against North’s cheek—and exhales, quietly but so clearly, “I remembered your name...”

In the next second the liquid seems to boil, rushing over their heads—and North closes his eyes, holding Hidan tighter, as if there’s any sense in it—but he promised to be here.

He’s dying to take a breath—there’s not enough air in his lungs, and his consciousness begins to slip away.

North still manages to hear the voice that’s become so dear to him—

_“I’ve missed you, Kakuzu.”_

And the darkness finally consumes him.

**Author's Note:**

> some more explanation! Kakuzu’s alternate name is North because of the kanji on his Akatsuki ring, meaning just that, _north_. so it kinda has a deep meaning (but not really).  
>  _sombras_ are like some mutated creatures that prey on humans. _sombra_ means _shadow_ in Spanish.


End file.
